We Made The News!

Our very own Allison Cobb weighs in on the growth of Bluffton and living outside of gated communities.

Here is the article from The Island Packet on February 19, 2019 by Caitlin Turner

Buying or selling a home in Beaufort Co.? Here are the most popular neighborhoods

Looking for a home in Beaufort County or hoping to sell one soon?

You should know that some neighborhoods fared better than others in 2018 sales, according to the Hilton Head Area Association of Realtors’ annual report based on the Hilton Head Multiple Listing Service’s statistics. The listing service provides statistics mainly for areas south of the Broad River.

Bluffton homes listed outside of plantations and gated communities had the highest number of closed sales last year, with 1,247 homes sold after an average 115 days on the market, according to the report said.

“Bluffton has grown so quickly and has become a destination in itself,” Allison Cobb, of The Cobb Group, a Charter One Realty branch in in the town, said. “It used to be that Bluffton was just a side market to Hilton Head. But nowadays, more and more people don’t want to cross the bridge and don’t need to with all the stores, restaurants and amenities in Bluffton.”

Cobb said Bluffton homes are typically newer than those on Hilton Head. She said buyers may be choosing homes outside plantation property because they are less interested in the rules that come with living in gated communities. The lots also tend to be bigger, she said.

“There’s a huge draw for Old Town all the way up to the Alljoy area,” Cobb said. “People don’t pay very much to live in those communities.”

The number of Bluffton homes outside plantations is almost double of the the number of homes sold in the Sun City and Riverbend area, which came in second place last year with 697 closed sales after an average of 107 days on the market.

For Sale: 10 Chadbourne Street Bluffton, SC

Condo and villas on Hilton Head spent the least amount of time on the market with an average of 97 days and 321 homes sold in 2018. Those numbers eclipse those of areas like Callawassie Island, where only 41 homes were sold after an average 311 days on the market.

The interest in Hilton Head condos and villas is mainly driven by those looking to retire or own a second home rather buying the units as investment properties, Cobb said.

Here’s how other neighborhoods, plantations and communities that sold over 40 residences ranked:

Sea Pines: 382 homes sold, 153 days on the market

Hilton Head Island off Plantation (Condos/Villas): 321 homes sold, 94 days on the market

Hilton Head Plantation: 306 homes sold, 123 days on the market

Palmetto Dunes: 236 homes sold, 189 days on the market

Forest Beach: 228 homes sold, 119 days on the market

Hilton Head Island off Plantation (Detached homes): 195 homes sold, 133 days on the market